August 25, 2010
By A. Gaffar Peang-Meth
Pacific Daily News (Guam)
Ironically, it was one of my elementary school teachers, a "progressive" chap, who told us in one of his lectures in the early 1950s to "awaken" our "sleeping" national consciences, that whether one is black, brown, yellow, or white, every person has "one kilo of brain" -- that one brain is as good as another; that it can learn anything as long as the person with the brain is willing and ready to learn; and that with a brain, man can do anything.
Whoa! I was skeptical of that. If all brains are equal and good, why were our grandparents and great grandparents, products of a great civilization, ruled by white men for more than 100 years?
But, hey, maybe the "progressive" teacher was that political activist seeking to upset the authority, the French rulers and his majesty the king, under whose sacred feet subjects resided (kraowm l'aorng thuli preah bat). Weren't we taught to "korub, kaowd, khlach, smoh trang" (respect, admire, fear, be loyal)?
So, young rote learners learned well the tradition of blind obedience and unquestioned loyalty, and have practiced them faithfully until the present day.
Please click here to read more...
Whoa! I was skeptical of that. If all brains are equal and good, why were our grandparents and great grandparents, products of a great civilization, ruled by white men for more than 100 years?
But, hey, maybe the "progressive" teacher was that political activist seeking to upset the authority, the French rulers and his majesty the king, under whose sacred feet subjects resided (kraowm l'aorng thuli preah bat). Weren't we taught to "korub, kaowd, khlach, smoh trang" (respect, admire, fear, be loyal)?
So, young rote learners learned well the tradition of blind obedience and unquestioned loyalty, and have practiced them faithfully until the present day.
Please click here to read more...
No comments:
Post a Comment